昔日文章

According to scientists, an oil spill in the sea is one of the worst forms of pollution. Oil cannot dissolve in water and forms a thick layer in the water which suffocates fish and stops marine birds from flying. In 2004, a hurricane toppled an oil rig into the Gulf of Mexico（墨西哥海灣）in the USA. The oil is still leaking and it is the longest ongoing oil spill in USA history.  What is your understanding of the expression “pour oil onto troubled waters”in the following sentence? Did John make the situation better or worse?  John tried to pour oil onto troubled waters（平息爭端; 息事寧人）when his classmates were quarrelling.  This idiom means an attempt to calm a problematic situation by doing or saying something to pacify the people involved.  In olden times, people believed that pouring some oil into the sea could soothe the rough waters. This method was recorded by Benjamin Franklin, the Founding Father of the United States, in the middle of the 18th century. When Franklin was travelling on a ship, he saw that the wake of a ship was reduced when the cooks poured their greasy water overboard.  The idiom is also associated with a story about St Aidan in the 8th century. St Aidan gave a pot of oil to a young priest who boarded a ship, and told him to pour it out if the sea got rough.  One of the earliest written versions of this idiom appeared in 1786.  “His presence and advice, like oil upon troubled waters, ….”  Glossary  Dissolve  溶解 Suffocates  使窒息 Hurricane  颶風 Oil rig  油井 Pacify  平息 Rough  洶湧 Wake  尾波 Greasy  油膩  

The trade war between China and the United States has been ongoing for more than a year. While both countries are negotiating a deal, you may hear the following comments made by either side from time to time.  USA’s delegate: “The ball is in China’s court.”  China’s delegate: “The ball is in the United States’ court.”  The“ball”in this expression may refer to a decision or some responsibility. This means that each side expects their opponent to take the next action.  This modern expression, which has a very short history, started in the 20th century. It is believed that the idea comes from sports such as tennis and badminton. When Player A hits the ball over the net to Player B's court, it is up to Player B to decide the next move.  Its written form appeared as early as 1956 in Time magazine in the USA.  “The newcomer to the [U.S.] State Department…… is advised to remember that ‘when the ball is in your court’ it must be ‘returned rapidly over the net’”.  Nowadays, the expression“the ball is in your court”（球在你的場內; 一切由你決定）is often used in business and politics. It is also quite popular in advertising to promote a product or a service, and to convince consumers to purchase now to take advantage of the best opportunity.  In terms of usage, there are many ways to rephrase this expression.  The ball is now back in the manager’s court, after a meeting with the trade union.  You’ve put the ball in his court. He must give you a reply as soon as possible.    Glossary  Negotiating  談判 Deal  協定 Delegate  代表 Responsibility  責任 Opponent  對手 Advertising  廣告 Convince  說服 Take advantage of  充分利用    

Do you love TV detective drama series? Since there is a “cliffhanger” at the end of each episode, people stay at home every evening, waiting anxiously to discover what will happen next.  An episode ending with a cliffhanger does not literally refer to a person hanging from a cliff in the episode. The expression“cliffhanger”is a plot device which puts the audience in suspense and keeps them interested in following the story. This method is widely used in films, novels and comic books to describe a character who is in dangerous situations.  The origin of this expression most likely comes from “A Pair of Blue Eyes” written by Thomas Hardy, a British author. Before the novel was printed as a book in 1873, it was first published in serial form in a monthly magazine. In the story, one of the main characters, Henry Knight, slips and hangs off the edge of a cliff. He is eventually rescued by a young woman.  While Thomas Hardy’s novel may have created one of the earliest cliffhanging scenes, it was not until 1931 that the first written version of“cliffhanger”appeared in an American magazine,“Variety”.  “Henry McRae, in charge of the cliff hangers, is searching for story material.”  In the above quote, Henry McRae, a film director and screenwriter, was responsible for producing some exciting plots for a film.  Nowadays, the expression can be used to describe an exciting situation with uncertain or unpredictable results.  The District Council Elections are going to be real cliffhangers (勝負難分; 充滿懸念) because there are many strong candidates.  Glossary  Drama series  連續劇 Episode  集 Cliff  懸崖 Plot  情節 Suspense  懸疑 Comic books  漫畫書 Screenwriter  編劇 Unpredictable  難以預測的  

"Should I do anything now ? I really don't want to miss out the intro⋯⋯"  Galen is in the cinema with some friends right now; at long last the test week is over and it is possible to watch a movie with a few classmates, for both relaxation and celebration. The movie earns its reputation（贏得聲譽） in the gripping（吸引人）teaser sequence（片頭）. Not only it is said to be a bantering（開玩笑的） one, but it also recaps（概述） events in previous episodes with stunning footages（絕妙鏡頭）. It is just the highlight of the whole movie and Galen has been anticipating（期望）it for some time.  While giggling（吃吃傻笑）and sniggering（竊笑）with his friends, the light dims（轉暗）. There are some lights by the gap in between the chair and the handle getting into Galen's eyes. That draws the attention of excited Galen. Upon a closer look and an examination by his fingers, he realized that it is a mobile phone, very likely left by someone who was sitting at this very same seat earlier.  Galen immediately recalls his bad experience of dropping his phone out of his pants at a cinema once （從前）. He wanted to go in to pick it up but the staff did not let him to as the following movie started already. He had to wait anxiously till the movie was over and everyone left before he was allowed to go in and search.  Feeling pity for the one who left his phone but at the same time not wanting to miss the most exciting part of the movie, Galen is figuring what is more important.   What would you do if you were Galen?  I would leave the phone on and if the owner called up, I would tell him the phone was safe with me and I would return it after the show.  I would simply run to the nearest staff at top speed and hand him or her the phone and dash back（衝回）to my seat. A little sacrifice would make me guilt free（沒罪惡感）.